More Food to More People

October 12, 2016By: Marie PauleyCategory: SHH News

By expanding our work with agency partners and the community we’re reaching more people and getting more food to individuals we already serve. Here are two stories of unique partnerships in the community helping us achieve our mission of ending hunger.

Community Emergency Assistance Program’s FOODRx Pilot

For our Agency Partner CEAP (Community Emergency Assistance Programs), becoming involved as a FOODRx pilot site is a natural part of their mission. “We integrate health and wellness into everything we do for clients, with a goal of nourishing both body and soul,” says Clare Brumback, President of CEAP, which serves families in the North Metro.

As part of the FOODRx pilot program, the staff at CEAP’s Blaine location has been working with the Allina Health Clinic in Coon Rapids. Selected patients will be referred to pick up a FOODRx box at CEAP tailored to their disease and ethnic background. CEAP expects to serve approximately 25-30 new clients who will receive FOODRx boxes to help manage diabetes. The staff at CEAP can also direct clients to other community health resources that may enhance their lives.

Clare says one of the most exciting parts about FOODRx is the opportunity to watch a new idea grow while identifying more people who need food as part of managing a health condition. “FOODRx allows us to access another group of neighbors who otherwise may not visit us. It’s another step forward as we work to fulfill our own mission of helping families live with dignity.”

Keeping it fresh and healthy for seniors in South Minneapolis

Second Harvest Heartland piloted a special program in the summer of 2016 to provide more fresh fruits and vegetables to seniors in need. We partnered with eight Minneapolis senior housing sites managed by Volunteers of America, where many residents are eligible for monthly deliveries of government-funded commodity food boxes (called CSFP – Commodity Supplemental Food Program). In addition to receiving their usual CSFP box of shelf-stable items, residents could choose from cabbage, potatoes, onions and cucumbers that had been dropped off by Second Harvest Heartland. At Heltzer Manor High Rise in south Minneapolis, the distribution was a huge hit, and seniors loved the fresh produce. Abdi Ahmed, a VOA staff member, summed it up: “Fresh vegetables - this is exactly the kind of food they really want!”